The Sunflower v. 125 i. 16

NEWS | 2

SPORTS | 5

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT | 7

RENOVATION

OPENING GAME

CAPITALISM

The Kansas Board of Regents approves the $16.4 million request to renovate Clinton.

Shockers’ Baseball drops season opener to Oklahoma State.

Keynote speaker discusses ideas to improve Black business ownership.

WICHITA STATE’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896 MONDAY

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Feb. 22, 2021

SHOCKER

Wichita State take sole possession of 1st in the AAC

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN/ THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State sophomore Tyson Etienne celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer during the game against Houston at Charles Koch Arena on Feb. 18. I’m so grateful that I myself can experience it, but everybody else on the program can experience it because that doesn’t come around all the time.” See the full story on Page 3.

Volume 125 Issue 16

Student Health taking steps to be a COVID-19 vaccine distribution site

BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE copyeditor@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale

Wichita State’s Student Health Services has taken active steps to be a COVID-19 vaccine distribution sight in the near future, Director Camille Childers said.

The center has applied and is waiting to hear back from the local health department.

“While there are a lot of clinics that are approved to be providers, it’s up to [Sedgwick] county right now, to decide who actually gets the vaccine and when,” Childers said.

The state is currently in phase 2 of the vaccination distribution process and it is unclear when the vaccine will be available to the general public.

The COVID-19 vaccination includes two rounds of doses, and according to the CDC, once someone is vaccinated they have ninety days of presumed immunity. This means that if they are exposed to COVID-19 in that time frame, they will not need to quarantine as long as you stay asymptomatic.

“If I start having symptoms, then I should seek a medical provider’s opinion to see if I have developed COVID-19,” Childers said. “Sometimes what vaccines do is it lessens the risk of you catching the disease and if you do catch it, it’s a much milder case than if you hadn’t gotten vaccinated.”

After getting the vaccine, Childers says that social distancing, hand washing, and wearing a mask are all still things that you should be doing.

“When it comes to COVID-19, this is a novel virus, which means we’ve only been working on this virus for a little over a year. They’ve been working on similar type viruses and vaccinations for years, and that’s why they were able to get out this vaccine so quickly.

“The reality is we are not 100% sure you will be protected from COVID-19, if you’ll need a booster in a year, we just don’t know that yet. We hope so,” Childers said.

When getting the vaccine, Childers said it is normal to experience soreness in your arm, a low grade fever, or feeling sluggish SEE VACCINE PAGE 2

Molecular Diagnostic Lab finds success in partnerships with the community

BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

Universities across the country have taken a part in the United State’s COVID response, and Wichita State was no different.

In October, the university celebrated the opening of the Molecular Diagnostic Lab— a COVID-19 testing lab that provides results within 24 hours.

Governor Laura Kelly commended WSU’s “bold thinking” at the lab’s opening, saying that the lab was another example of how important universities have been in fighting the spread of the virus.

Now, four months later, the lab’s Technical Director Sarah Nickel said the lab— which she said is now the lab of Sedgwick County— has lived up to the expectations.

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“When [the lab] started we were getting maybe 200 samples a day, it was a minimal number. By the end of December, we were getting almost 3,000 every single day.”

SARAH NICKEL Technical Director

“We’re able to get the results out within 24 hours of when they get to the lab pretty consistently,” she said. “Before the county was sending things to the state and it was taking at least three days to get results back, so we’ve decreased that time for people in our county to a day.” @sunflowernews

@thesunflowernews

Nickel said that finding the lab’s work flow was a hard task, but the staff was able to fill in the gaps.

“In the beginning it was so crazy because I was the only person that knew how to do the testing,” Nickel said. “Now I have a full team in the lab who are very trained and actually, we could take more testing because they’ve gotten very good at their job.”

Nickel said the lab has grown exponentially since its inception— which mimics the county’s COVID numbers.

“When [the lab] started we were getting maybe 200 samples a day, it was a minimal number,” Nickel said. “By the end of December, we were getting almost 3,000 every single day.

“Now we’ve kind of leveled out a little bit, the rates are a little bit lower now so we find our collections kind of mimic the amount of

positives in our community.”

The lab has also been finding success because of its convenience. While many labs are still utilizing nasal swab tests, the Molecular Diagnostic Lab provides the community with another option.

“We also added in the option of saliva for people, when before they were having to be swabbed,” Nickel said. “It’s nice to just be able to spit in a tube instead of getting a swab up my nose.”

Nickel said the lab was able to benefit the community in more ways than one, through partnerships with other businesses in the county.

“We empower businesses to become a testing partner with us,” Nickel said. “We train someone at their facility to be a saliva SEE LAB PAGE 2

2 | MONDAY, FEB. 22, 2021

NEWS

Freddy’s offers free scoop of frozen custard to honor founders birthday

BY ELENA KUCKELMAN emkuckelman@shockers.wichita.edu

Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers is passing out free scoops of custard this week to celebrate its founder’s birthday.

These scoops will be given out on Feb. 22-24 to honor the birthday of Freddy’s founder and Wichita State graduate, the late Freddy Simon, who was born on Feb. 24, 1925.

SCREENSHOT

The Kansas Board of Regents authorized WSU’s request to renovate Clinton Hall during their virtual meeting Wednesday.

BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_ KSmith

The Kansas Board of Regents approved Wichita State’s request to remodel Clinton Hall into a student success center during their Wednesday meeting. The estimated cost of construction and other fees is $16.4 million— which will come from private funds, student fees, and revenue bond funds.

The request includes constructing a 3,360 square foot addition to Clinton Hall on the south side of the building to “increase visibility of the main entrance, address accessibility to multiple levels of the facility, increase access to natural light, and provide necessary square footage to accommodate all the desired services.”

“When Clinton Hall vacates once Woolsey Hall construction is complete in spring of ‘22, the

“The Barton School of Business will move out of Clinton Hall and into Woolsey Hall, and that allows for the opportunity to co-locate student services departments that are scattered around cmpus into Clinton.”

CHAD BRISTOW KBOR Director of Facilities

Barton School of Business will move out of Clinton Hall and into Woolsey Hall, and that allows for the opportunity to co-locate student service departments that are scattered around campus into Clinton Hall,” KBOR’s Director of Facilities Chad Bristow said. “[It will create] a centralized location

editor@thesunflower.com / @LindsayK_ Smith

at the center of campus in convenient proximity to the Rhatigan Student Center and the library.”

The project is anticipated to allow five buildings to relocate their operations into the new center. These buildings — Brennan I, Brennan II, Brennan III, Intensive English Language Center, and the Intensive English Annex— will be “taken offline” with chance of demolition.

“With the buildings that are vacated you have another 52,000 square feet that could be potentially demolished or taken offline in some capacity,” Bristow said.

According to the request, the renovation of Clinton Hall will resolve roughly $5.65 million of deferred maintenance costs.

The five other buildings add another $2.49 million in deferred maintenance.

The project (design, documentation, and construction) is estimated to take approximately

This week’s weather in brief

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MISSION The Sunflower — both in print and online — will be a timely resource of information about the Wichita State University community. It will report on news, issues, activities, academics and athletics, in addition to offering a forum for discussion, reviews and commentary. It will also be an effective learning experience for students, who will have the final authority over what is published.

LEGAL One free copy of The Sunflower is available to members of the WSU community. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 in the newsroom, Elliott Hall 019. The Sunflower is private property and unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable. The Sunflower is funded by a combination of print and online advertisment sales and student fees allocated by the Student Government Association.

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All parking tickets issued during the first week of the spring semester have been voided, Student Government Association Vice President Mackenzie Haas said during Wednesday’s student senate meeting.

Students voiced frustrations surrounding Wichita State’s parking policy last week after many of them got issued eCitations during the first week of the semester. Now,

FROM LAB PAGE 1

themselves.

“So I feel like we have benefited businesses in a way that I had never anticipated … it helps them with their own employees being able to keep coming to work, or knowing right away that they need to quarantine.”

Every employee is either a Wichita State graduate or a student. The lab currently has 26 student employees, who work in many different aspects of the operation— depending on their majors and interests.

“We start them out in our kit making area, then they move into receiving specimens into the lab,” Nickel said. “Some of the students were doing so well that we’ve actually made some lab assistant positions, where they get to come into the lab and do some prep

FROM VACCINE PAGE 1

ILLUSTRATION BY THY VO

Source: iPhone weather app

Parking tickets issued during first week of school voided

BY LINDSAY SMITH

KBOR AUTHORIZES WSU’S REQUEST TO RENOVATE CLINTON HALL, TAKE FIVE BUILDINGS ‘OFFLINE’

Sponsored by Student Involvement and the Rhatigan Student Center, the celebration will acknowledge the man behind the Wichita originated restaurant.

The first 200 customers each day will be offered a free scoop, with their hours remaining 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

No purchase is necessary to receive your free custard.

witnesser so they can collect the saliva samples and be able to submit samples for themselves.

“So I feel like we have benefited businesses in a way that I had never anticipated … it helps them with their own employees being able to keep coming to work, or knowing right away that they need to quarantine.”

Every employee is either a Wichita State graduate or a student. The lab currently has 26 student employees, who work in many different aspects of the operation— depending on their majors and interests.

“We start them out in our kit making area, then they move into receiving specimens into the lab,” Nickel said. “Some of the students were doing so well that we’ve actually made some lab assistant

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lindsay Smith editor@thesunflower.com

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OPINION EDITOR Audrey Korte opinion@thesunflower.com

DIGITAL PHOTO EDITOR Khanh Nguyen photoeditor@thesunflower.com

SPORTS EDITOR Sean Marty sports@thesunflower.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Tabitha Barr arts@thesunfower.com

PODCAST DIRECTOR Blake Kenneson podcast@thesunflower.com

FACULTY ADVISOR Amy DeVault amy.devault@wichita.edu

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all those citations have been lifted.

Director of Parking Services Corey Herl said that compared to pre-pandemic, parking services have issued only one quarter of the normal amount of eCitations they usually issue during a normal semester.

For students who do not want to pay the $70 price for the full parking pass, they can purchase $5 daily passes. Students can also utilize the free parking at the Hughs Metroplex located at 29th and Oliver and use the shuttle to get to campus. work for all the testing.

“It’s probably one of the most rewarding parts of this job ... I get to teach [students] in a little bit different way than what I do in a classroom.”

While all student positions are currently filled, Nickel said that as the lab grows, she is hoping to continue hiring students.

“We will always employ students here, that is something we feel very strongly about,” Nickel said.

Nickel said that the lab was the result of WSU leaders who trusted her vision.

“When I said I knew how to do this kind of testing and we knew the community needed help, that they really trusted me,” Nickel said. “It’s kind of nice being a faculty member to feel that support from leadership.”

positions, where they get to come into the lab and do some prep work for all the testing.

“It’s probably one of the most rewarding parts of this job ... I get to teach [students] in a little bit different way than what I do in a classroom.”

While all student positions are currently filled, Nickel said that as the lab grows, she is hoping to continue hiring students.

“We will always employ students here, that is something we feel very strongly about,” Nickel said.

Nickel said that the lab was the result of WSU leaders who trusted her vision.

“When I said I knew how to do this kind of testing and we knew the community needed help, that they really trusted me,” Nickel said. “It’s kind of nice being a faculty member to feel that support

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Corrections

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NEWS

MONDAY, FEB. 22, 2021 | 3

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER

Rachel Showstack is a Wichita State sociolinguist and Spanish professor. Her research focuses on language accessibility issues in health care.

WSU professor champions legislation ensuring Kansas hospitals have qualified intrepreters

BY MATTHEW KELLY Wichita Journalism Collaborative

When Veronica Mireles’ son complained he was in severe abdominal pain, she rushed him to a Wichita emergency room. No interpreter was provided for the Spanish-speaking family, and the teenager was told he may have contracted a sexually transmitted disease. His doctor sent him home.

But as the pain escalated in the following days, Mireles had no choice but to bring her son back to the ER. This time, a physician accompanied by an interpreter quickly realized what was actually wrong — appendicitis. Because of the delay in treatment, the boy’s appendix had ruptured, resulting in an extended hospital stay and a massive medical bill.

Federally funded hospitals and clinics are required to offer interpreting services for patients. But all too often, the system fails and non-English-speaking patients find themselves in the middle of highstakes medical conversations without a qualified interpreter.

Rachel Showstack is a Wichita State sociolinguist and Spanish professor. Her research focuses on language accessibility issues in health care.

“One of the biggest issues is people not knowing that they have the right to an interpreter and that they should ask for one,” Showstack said. “Really, the health care institution should be offering them an interpreter and making it extremely clear that those services are available with signage and also verbally at the check-in for the hospital or clinic. But that’s not always happening.”

When patients aren’t informed of their right to a qualified interpreter, family members — oftentimes young children — tend to find themselves in the role of de facto interpreter.

“Patients often bring family members with them because they know that they need help,” said Pilar Ortega, president of the National Association of Medical Spanish (NAMS), an interdisciplinary collaborative working to improve health equity.

“Family members should not be burdened with doing the job that they’re absolutely not prepared or trained to do, and so there’s a very

high risk of miscommunication.”

Although bilingual family members shouldn’t have to serve as primary interpreters, they still play an important role from a patient advocacy standpoint. COVID-19 visiting limitations in hospitals have left non-English-speaking patients in an even more vulnerable position without these family members by their side.

IMPROVING LANGUAGE ACCESS Showstack took an interest in health care providers’ interpreting practices when a local clinic contacted her to ask if some of her students could take on interpreting duties.

“That’s why I started to investigate what someone needs to know in order to be an interpreter, and the more I looked into it, the more I found out that . . . the federal legislation that supports health equity for speakers of minoritized languages is really not being upheld in Kansas,” Showstack said.

Unlike many states, Kansas doesn’t mandate that hospitals and clinics provide certified interpreters.

Prospective interpreters aren’t even required to log a certain number of training hours before being thrust into real-world situations.

Showstack organized a series of stakeholder meetings with Spanishspeaking patients, who reported inconsistent access to qualified interpreters, resulting in an eroded trust between patients and physicians.

In the worst cases, the breakdown in communication turned preventable conditions into life-threatening ones.

The pandemic has left unqualified interpreters even less equipped to help patients and physicians communicate.

“In the situation where you’re wearing masks and you’re wearing face gear and all this kind of stuff, it’s even harder to read facial expressions,” Ortega said. “It’s harder to understand just words and what people are saying, so that definitely complicates things in terms of interpretations.”

Dave Stewart, Wesley Medical Center’s director of marketing and public relations, said the hospital has utilized both electronic and in-person interpretation during the pandemic.

“Interpreters who provide

in-person services to our patients are provided appropriate PPE and maintain social distancing to minimize personal risk,” Stewart said. “We rely fully on qualified interpreters, and do not allow staff members or patient family members to act as interpreters.”

But many hospitals and clinics still lean heavily on unqualified interpreters, stunting medical conversations and negatively impacting health outcomes. Showstack says that’s unacceptable.

That’s why she’s advocating for legislation that would require interpreters to obtain professional training before serving Kansas healthcare providers.

She’s also urging lawmakers to require that the state’s federally funded hospitals develop and implement language access plans that describe their language services, the steps they take to inform patients of said services and their procedures for training staff on language policies.

Showstack said she’s partnering with Johnson County Democratic state Rep. Susan Ruiz on the proposed legislation, and hopes to see it introduced as early as next legislative session.

HELPING OTHERS UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS Health care providers should be prepared to rely on a qualified interpreter any time they enter a potentially language-discordant interaction with a patient, said Ortega, NAMS president.

Language, she says, is no different than any other tool a physician needs to successfully care for their patients.

“If I don’t have the tools that I need — if I don’t have an ophthalmoscope, I can’t examine someone’s eye. If I don’t have the language skills and I can’t speak with that person directly, then I need help with that and I need somebody else to help me achieve that communication, which is a critical piece for me to be able to do my job,” Ortega said.

Showstack and one of her students have started providing seminar presentations for health care providers about how to work with interpreters.

They’ve put on three so far but plan to hold more in the future.

Ortega said no physician-patient

interaction is so commonplace that it doesn’t need to be properly interpreted.

“I would argue that every medical encounter is potentially a high-stakes encounter because you don’t know what you’ve missed, and that’s the scariest part,” Ortega said.

“When you have a poor interpretation or mistake in understanding, you may not even realize it. There’s no way for the doctor to know, ‘Oh, it was okay that I had the family member interpret this one because this was just about knee pain,’ or something because you don’t know what you didn’t understand that the interpreter didn’t tell you during that encounter.

Maybe the patient actually said something else that would have changed the course of that visit completely.”

That’s why it’s so important for physicians and all future health professionals to understand how to work with interpreters, she said. It also underscores the need for more linguistically diverse representation in the medical field.

One aspiring medical professional, Jonathan Lozano, came to the U.S. from Durango, Mexico, when he was in the third grade.

“I was 8 years old, and from that moment, ever since I was able to pick up English, I had to translate for my mom,” Lozano said. “My mom was quite often in and out of clinics and hospitals because she has diabetes type 2.

“I quickly noticed that there’s a lack of Hispanic representation within the medical field, and that really inspired me to one day become a medical professional and help out the Hispanic community by providing services in Spanish.”

Now a second-year junior at WSU, Lozano is majoring in biological sciences with an emphasis in biomedicine.

“One of my goals in life is to eventually do missionary work and travel around the world and provide services to any underrepresented community or those that need the services,” Lozano said.

This story was produced as part of the Wichita Journalism Collaborative, a partnership of seven media companies, including The Sunflower, working together to bring timely and accurate news and information to Kansans.

WSU offering free COVID-19 testing at Metroplex

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @Theseanmarty

Wichita State is now offering free COVID19 tests to the general public starting today at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex, according to a release sent out by the university.

Those interested in receiving a test will have to call a special COVID-19 testing phone number posted in the Metroplex parking lot.

A trained employee will then collect demographic information prior to the test.

After that, the patient will be allowed to enter the facility where their saliva specimen will be collected. That specimen will then be taken to WSU’s Molecular Diagnostic’s Lab for processing and results. The results will be

available after 24 hours and will be delivered through email.

“We are excited to partner with the Metroplex to be able to offer a new collection site for testing with MDL,” technical director of the MDL Sarah Nickel said in the release.

“In order to truly stay ahead of the virus, it is important that community members test as often as needed and that they get results very quickly.”

Testing is available from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

PHOTO BY FERNANDO SALAZAR / WICHITA JOURNALISM COLLABORATIVE

Health professionals administer a COVID-19 test in Wichita

4 | MONDAY, FEB. 22, 2021

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Sports

HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s sports editor, Sean Marty sports@thesunflower.com

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN/ THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State redshirt senior Alterique Gilbert goes up for a layup during the game against Houston at Charles Koch Arena on Feb. 18.

Gilbert finished the game with a team-high 16 points.

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN/ THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State Dexter Dennis and Tyson Etienne dab up after Dennis hit a 3-pointer during the game against Houston at Charles Koch Arena on Feb. 18.

Shockers complete upset of No. 6 Houston

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com/@TheSeanMarty

For the first time since 1967, Wichita State defeated a top-six team in the country at home on Thursday night as they beat No. 6 Houston, 68-63 inside Charles Koch Arena. The victory was also crucial in keeping WSU’s hopes for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament alive.

WSU struggled out the gates, finding themselves down by as many 12 points with 5:37 left to play in the first. The Shockers closed the half 17-4 run to cut the deficit to one point headed at halftime.

“We weren’t really playing well,” junior Dexter Dennis said. “And they were so they were capitalizing on things and we weren’t really being smart I’d say. But that wasn’t our best basketball. We knew eventually, we were going to start playing the way we normally play.”

In the second half, the Shockers continued that momentum and started out with an 11-0 run to build a 10-point lead. The Cougars found a way to claw back and in the final minute, junior Quentin Grimes

“I was saying it from the beginning of the game, Let’s make history. At halftime, I was saying let’s make history and the guys followed and we did just that.”

TYSON ETIENNE Sophomore

banked in a three-pointer cutting the deficit down to one point.

On the ensuing possession, Tyson Etienne missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw and the Cougars had the opportunity to regain the lead in the closing seconds. But Dexter Dennis intercepted a DeJon Jarreau pass intended for Grimes and absorbed a flagrant-two foul from Justin Gorham.

Dennis said that he was watching Grimes the whole time and just took off once he saw the ball leave Jarreau’s hands.

“I knew he was calling for, I saw his hands. He was calling for it.

And (Jarreau) was like dribbling it and he was looking at him, but he didn’t see me. So, once it released his hands, I just ran to the ball.”

The Shockers were able to hit their critical free throws down the stretch and finished off the fivepoint victory.

Dennis said that matching the Cougars’ intensity was a key reason WSU pulled off the upset.

“You have to match their intensity, if not overtaking because if you don’t, you’re just gonna get embarrassed. And that’s something they’ve been doing. That’s their culture. That’s what they’ve been doing. They play extremely, extremely hard, every time every possession.”

Entering Thursday’s game, Houston was the best offensive rebounding team in the country grabbing more than 41% of its own misses and an average of 15.2 offensive rebounds per game. Houston was one of six teams out rebounding their opponents by double digits prior to Thursday night.

In the victory, the Shockers outrebounded the Cougars, 35-33, while also matching Houston’s 15

offensive rebounds.

“Every time the ball is up in the air, you have to find someone to touch, and I thought those guys did a great job of going to make contact,” Interim Head Coach Isaac Brown said. “Even if we didn’t get the rebound, the ref had to call the foul. And once that happened, it equaled everything out and we were able to rebound with those guys.”

Brown said that Houston’s physicality can play a toll on teams, which was the main reason WSU went to its bench early on.

“When you play Houston, they just keep coming at you, coming at you, coming at you,” Brown said.

“Hitting you, hitting you, hitting you. So, it takes a lot out of you. It’s hard to score because on offense, you know when you’re trying to score, you just had to box those guys out there constantly going to the glass, they pushed it in transition, they got a big, physical basketball team.”

This season WSU has faced adversity throughout, including COVID-19 issues and Gregg Marshall’s resignation. Mixed in

with a 1-2 start, the Shockers now sit on the cusp of a return to the NCAA Tournament.

“Those first two games, we played with eight players,” Brown said. “So, we didn’t make any excuses in the end. Those guys kept battling. They kept getting better. They kept believing, and they just trusted us. We trust them and they trust our staff.”

With the win, the Shockers sit atop of the American Athletic Conference standings and snap a six-game losing streak against Houston. As one of the six returners from last year’s team, sophomore Tyson Etienne said he’s just grateful to be a part of this group.

“I was saying it from the beginning of the game, Let’s make history,” he said. “At halftime, I was saying let’s make history and the guys followed and we did just that.

It’s an amazing feeling to do that.”

Next up, the Shockers will look to extend its winning streak to six games against South Methodist inside Charles Koch Arena on Feb. 25. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN or ESPN2.

Why Isaac Brown deserves to be named WSU’s next head coach Sean Marty Sports Editor sports@thesunflower.com

With eight days remaining until the start of the 2020-21 basketball season, Isaac Brown was preparing for his sixth season as an assistant coach for Wichita State. With the resignation of longtime head coach Gregg Marshall, Brown was elevated to the interim head coach position.

Even with an offseason of turmoil, which included six scholarship players transferring, Brown has the Shockers on the verge of returning to the NCAA Tournament. Brown has quickly emerged as a candidate for the open head coach position.

On Thursday, Brown led the Shockers to the first home victory over a top-six team in the country since 1967 with a 68-63 victory over No. 6 Houston.

“I’m just so proud of these guys,” Brown said. “You know, when everything when I first got this job, we told these kids, just

trust us and we’re going to give them 110% every day, and all those guys trust the process. And they just basically stepped up and just doing tremendous on the court off the court, and in the classroom.”

WSU’s victory catapulted them into first place in the American Atheltic Conference. Earlier this offseason, the Shockers were picked to finish seventh in the conference with no players picked to an all-conference team.

But even with the adversity that the team has faced, Brown has led the Shockers to a conference lead and on their first NCAA Tournament birth since 2018.

“There was a lot of adversity when the season started,” Brown said. “And like I said, our first meeting with the team, our staff, we talked about you guys just got to trust us. We’re gonna give you 110% every night, we can’t let anybody in our circle. We didn’t make any excuses in the end.

Those guys kept battling. They kept getting better. They kept believing, and they just trust us.

We trust them and they trust our staff.”

Throughout the season, the

team has backed Brown and their support of him has been critical to the team’s success.

Sophomore guard Tyson Etienne was one of six players to stay at WSU even with everything surrounding the program. Etienne has been one of the most vocal supporters of Brown and in turn is averaging a team-high 17.2 points per game, while emerging as one of the AAC Player of the Year candidates.

“I never doubted it, I said that from day one,” Etienne said.

“When everyone was transferring and it seemed like the world was falling, I stayed solid in my decision and it’s for reasons like this.

I knew what we had even though we lost Coach Marshall, I knew what we still could do. Just because Coach Marshall left doesn’t mean the talent left with him.”

This team has been through more adversity than most especially with dealing with the COVID-19 virus and Brown deserves credit for how the team has performed. Keeping the team focused with numerous postponements and other hardships would’ve made it easy to categorize

this season as a rebuilding one.

But Brown has guided the Shockers through these muddy waters and deserves credit for the team’s performance. In press conferences, Brown typically deflects questions about himself and wants to give credit to the players. But it’s time for Brown to be recognized for what the team has accomplished so far.

“We’ve been through so much, you know, the country has been through so much dealing with COVID, us not even knowing if we’re gonna have a season and stuff going on internally within our program,” Etienne said. “You know, just to be in this moment before the game fighting for first place was a blessing, but to be, you know, on the other side of that, and to say that we’re number one is something that, you know, is unbelievable.”

Isaac Brown might not be the flattering head coach hire the program was hoping for, but the player’s support for him has to mean something. The team is together like a family much more than last year and Brown has been crucial for that. He’s brought a

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN/ THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State Interim Head Coach Isaac Brown talks to a player during the game against Temple at Charles Koch Arena on Feb. 7.

new swagger and culture to the program that can last for seasons to come.

So, Athletic Director Darron Boatright it’s time to take the interim tag off Isaac Brown. He deserves it.

SPORTS

MONDAY, FEB. 22, 2021 | 5

OPENING DAY

PHOTO BY KAYLEE STOUT/ THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State junior, Liam Eddy throws the ball to his opponent during a game at Eck stadium on Feb. 21.

Shockers drop season-opener to No. 17 Oklahoma State For the first time in 350 days, Wichita State baseball was back in action on Sunday, as they took on No. 17 Oklahoma State at Eck Stadium.

The Cowboys defeated the Shockers, 3-1, in the season opener.

WSU’s season opening series was rescheduled two different times after previous series against Northern Colorado and Oklahoma due to inclement weather.

Head Coach Eric Wedge said that it was a great feeling to back out there on Sunday.

“It was great to get out there,” Wedge said. “We’ve been out there the past couple days with the weather and what not but it was great to go out there and compete against another team. We obviously played a little bit tight early on but I felt they settled in.”

In the top of the first inning, OSU was able to jump to a quick 3-0 lead.

Max Hewitt drove in a run through a fielder’s choice and Alix Garcia’s two-run double pushed the lead up to three right out of the gates.

WSU’s starting pitcher Liam Eddy was able to regroup after surrendering the three early runs, and shut out the Cowboys the next four innings. Eddy’s pitch count today was limited to only 65 pitches but finished the night allowing three runs while collecting eight strikeouts in the loss. Ryan Stuempfig and Tommy Barnhouse picked up Eddy, by combining three scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

“I felt he got stronger and

“It was great to get out there. We’ve been out there the past couple days but it was great to go out and compete against another team.”

ERIC WEDGE Head Coach

stronger as it went on but we had to get him out of there just because of a pitch count situation,” Wedge said.

“He gave us every chance to win the ballgame and that’s what starting pitchers have to do. He did that and next time he’ll pitch a little bit stronger and farther hopefully.”

Wedge said that Eddy was more aggressive with his fastball which helped him have more success in the later innings.

“I think he started to be a little more aggressive with his fastball and that was something that I think helped him,” Wedge said. “Early on they were hitting some strike breaking balls and he was working from behind a little bit. It looked like he was a little stiff out there. But that first inning of the year is always the toughest. That’s just the way it works with baseball.”

The Shockers’ offense struggled to push runs across the plate as Corrigan Bartlett drove in the lone Shocker run on an RBI single in the fourth inning, cutting the deficit to

PHOTO BY KAYLEE STOUT/ THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State junior, Garrett Kocis anticipates the ball coming to him during a game at Eck stadium on Feb. 21.

two. The Shockers had a key opportunity to tie the game up in the eight inning with the bases loaded and nobody out with the top of the lineup due up. But the Shockers were unable to push a run across, leaving three runners stranded.

For the game, WSU collected 11 hits but stranded 13 runners on the basepaths.

“That was obviously the story of the game,” Wedge said. “The apex of that was the eighth inning, bases loaded nobody out and we didn’t push one across when ultimately we should push two or three across with one hit or two. But we’ll learn from it. ” Redshirt senior Corrigan Bartlett made his Shocker debut on Sunday and went 4-4 at the plate while driving in WSU’s lone run in the loss. Bartlett, a Maize, Kansas native, said that it is surreal to be back in Wichita after growing up cheering

on the team as a kid.

“It’s a pretty surreal moment with my life wrapping back around and I get to play for a team I once grew up watching. It was a pretty incredible moment and was a good day.”

After the offense’s disappointing performance, Bartlett said that the team is trying to take a positive approach to tomorrow’s game.

“There’s two ways of going about this type of stuff,” he said. “One is to get frustrated and think we lost it or come back tomorrow because there’s a new day tomorrow and looking forward to the opportunity to get the win. I think that’s the way we’re going about it. In our locker room we know that we beat ourselves and we have an opportunity tomorrow to prove the right message.”

The Shockers will wrap up its series against the Cowboys on Monday at Eck Stadium. First pitched is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Asia Strong makes impact in first season as a Shocker

BY JOE BAKER joebakerwsu@gmail.com/@JoeBakerWSU

As a junior college transfer, Wichita State forward Asia Strong has found a way to make in impact in her first season at WSU. Strong leads the Shockers in many offensive categories so far this season.

Strong is a six-foot-two junior guard from South Bend, Ind and played at Riley High School in South Bend. Her family consists of her mother Glendetta and her three brothers Gabriel, Keenan and Thomas.

Strong is a junior college transfer from Trinity Valley Community College, located in Athens, Texas.

As a sophomore, Strong led the Lady Cardinals to a 32-1 overall record and an undefeated 18-0 season in conference play. She averaged 14.6 points-per-game and 9.2 rebounds per game, averaging nearly a double-double per contest.

The first year Shocker was a highly coveted recruit coming out of Trinity Valley Community College.

Outside of Wichita State, she received offers from Butler, Texas A&M, Illinois State, Minnesota and Missouri State. Ultimately, Strong said she chose Wichita State due to

her relationship with the Shocker coaching staff.

“The coaching staff made sure that I understood that I would be playing and that they believe in me,” Strong said. “I have the green light to shoot it, put it on the floor and just play my game.”

Strong said she has enjoyed playing under Head Coach Keitha Adams especially how enthusiastic and encouraging Adams is towards her and her teammates.

“She’s always encouraging me,” Strong said. “She always checks up on me and always asks if I need anything, so I just know that I’m very welcomed here … I’m very thankful for her.”

The junior guard has had many bright moments in her first year as a Shocker. On Dec. 6, Strong posted a season-high in points and rebounds, scoring 22 points with 13 rebounds against Northern Iowa in a double-overtime loss.

Strong has three games scoring 20-plus points this season.

Recently, the junior guard scored 20 points on the road against East Carolina on Feb. 20. She also has two games with double-digit rebounds, recently posting a ten-rebound performance against

Temple on Feb. 6.

Strong is leading the team in scoring averaging 15.5 points-pergame with 5.9 rebounds-per-game and shooting 38.5% from threepoint distance.

The team’s leading scorer is majoring in sports management with plans to minor in business.

Strong has high aspirations after her time at Wichita State comes to a close.

“I want to be an AAU coach, I want to have my own business, my own AAU team and be a facility manager,” said Strong. “I just want to definitely stay in the sports industry and learn more about the sports business side.”

Strong said she looks up to Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson.

Wilson was the first overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft and Strong sees a lot of her game in Wilson’s game.

“I definitely like how she plays,” said Strong. “I can see myself playing like her when I play in the pros.”

When describing her playing style, Strong is confident in her abilities as a scorer.

“I think I can score at all three levels,” Strong said. “I can score

inside the paint, I can put it on the floor and pull up and I can shoot the three from all spots.”

The Indiana native has improved on many facets of her game throughout this season, but Strong said she has improved her three-point shooting the most.

“I have definitely improved on my threes,” Strong said. “Last year I didn’t shoot too many threes and if I did, it wasn’t going in. This year, I just have confidence that it’s going in.”

Although the Shockers haven’t played their best basketball this season, Strong believes there is potential on the horizon for the women’s basketball program.

“I’m definitely looking forward to being a top-three team in the conference at least,” said Strong.

“I want to do everything with this team, we are capable of doing everything we just have to bring it out of us, it’s all about effort.”

Wichita State is currently on a four-game losing skid. The Shockers have a 4-10 overall record and a 1-8 record in American Athletic Conference play.

Next up for the Shockers is a home game against the Houston Cougars on Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN/ THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State junior Asia Strong gets set to shoot a free-throw during the game against Southern on Dec. 4 at Koch Arena.

6 | MONDAY, FEB. 22, 2021

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Opinion

HAVE AN OPINION?

contact The Sunflower’s opinion editor, Audrey Korte opinion@thesunflower.com

I don’t want to get raped again.

‘I will prepare for the fight— if there is a next time, I will aim to do enough damage to the attacker that they don’t walk away unscathed.’

SOME OF THE REACTIONS YOU SHOULD EXPECT IF YOU FIND YOURSELF SEEKING JUSTICE FOR YOUR SEXUAL ASSAULT. IT’S NOT PRETTY.

Audrey Korte Opinion editor opinion@thesunflower.com

Let me start by unequivocally saying that we are not responsible for others’ actions and do not deserve blame or shame for what happens at the hands of attackers or abusers. But we also are not fragile flowers or damsels in distress who should say a prayer whenever going out the door and do nothing more to prepare for our own defense.

Being passive about our safety doesn’t serve us well, and it definitely doesn’t make would-be assailants hesitate.

An offensive strategy is the best line of defense when it comes to sexual violence.

That means having multiple plans in case things go wrong. That moment when someone goes from assumed-safe to just plain scary or violent is the moment for which I prepare myself because I don’t want to feel like a victim again. I don’t want to get raped again.

So, I will prepare for the fight — if there is a next time, I will aim to do enough damage to the attacker that they don’t walk away unscathed.

I encourage everyone to invest in some ways and means to scare off and injure attackers.

Practice using them.

I recently bought a birdie alarm. It clips onto your handbag, backpack, or belt buckle.

When you pull the pin, it sounds a 130 dB siren with a flashing strobe-light to create a diversion. It will go off continuously for 40 minutes unless the pin is replaced.

I also was gifted an eye-jabber. You put your knuckles through two rings. At the end are two V-shaped spikes — about eye-width apart. You get the idea. I plan to carry it with me when I travel alone. I’m going to need to practice my punches and get comfortable using it. The idea makes me squeamish, but I’ll get over it.

WE HAVE A PROBLEM Colleges and universities offer life-changing opportunities for millions of people. For some men and women, they are life-changing in the worst of ways. Statistics on sexual violence are sobering. In college especially, we’re at war against sexual violence.

According to RAINN, sexual violence on campus is pervasive.

13% of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation (among all graduate and undergraduate students).

Among graduate and professional students, 9.7% of females and 2.5% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.

Among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.

5.8% of students have experienced stalking since entering college.

The way most universities approach sexual assault on campus suggests that women especially are disposable. The aim is to keep things quiet, not to keep people safe.

Those who are bold enough to report regret trusting their universities in the long run. This is a stain on higher education.

YOUR SKIRT WAS TOO SHORT. If you’re wearing anything or nothing at all, you’re going to be treated like you asked for it.

Expect at the very least to be questioned about your attire.

Expect to be judged on it.

YOU FOOLISHLY WALKED HOME ALONE. Being alone is part of living.

We rarely tell people, “I’ll walk you home,” but when we find out something happens to someone walking alone at night, our reaction is “why were you alone?” not “why didn’t I go with you?”

YOU DIDN’T FIGHT BACK.

ILLUSTRATION BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

It’s common for survivors to never report an assault or to wait to do so until many years after the fact. This can confuse those who have never been through these traumatic experiences.

Let me explain.

The fact is, our brains don’t want to face the trauma again, and we humans do all sorts of things to forget and to cope. Sometimes we can’t admit what we went through to ourselves for many years, let alone to a therapist, advocate, cop or judge.

Having a nurse gather evidence for a rape kit is one of the most invasive experiences imaginable, especially in the hours after an attack when you don’t want to be touched. They swab everything, photograph marks and bruises, collect hair and fingernail clippings, bag your clothing. You can’t wash until it’s done.

You tell me how keen you’d be to spread your legs for a stranger to collect evidence after someone forced themselves on you.

Keep that in mind when you thoughtlessly throw around accusations or cite a lack of evidence when someone makes an allegation of assault.

It’s understandable why people shower before they do anything else, so stop being so heartless about this.

Running away is instinct; working with doctors, lawyers, and police to catch your attacker(s) and see them prosecuted goes against every survival instinct you have. Don’t assume you’d do it without pause. It’s incredibly taxing.

People turn on you quickly once your claim is public. Plus, trauma causes us to behave in nonsensical and illogical ways. Have some empathy and tact.

Some of our friend’s and colleagues’ attitudes are that survivors should consider ourselves lucky that we were just raped or were only stalked or threatened and not murdered. It never ceases to shock and offend me.

It’s no wonder we hesitate to report when men are treated as less masculine or weak for their experience. Women are treated as less

Opinion LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 400 words. Letters may be edited for accuracy, clarity and length. Please include your name, WSU affiliation and a phone number for verification purposes. To submit letters, email opinion@thesunflower.com or submit at www.thesunflower.com.

The opinions expressed in The Sunflower editorials, columns, guest columns, reviews, advertisements, letters and editorial cartoons are not necessarily those of the staff, publications board, student body or the university. The Sunflower reserves the right to edit or reject any submission. We also reserve the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

attractive, unclean, and attention-seeking.

Somehow they are to blame for their own rape, assault and abuse.

SURVIVING IS ROUGH. Over the last two decades at each university I attended, I met women who had been raped in their dorms and at on- and off-campus parties.

The best way to change this pattern is to promote more women to the highest and most exclusive halls of academia.

Having more women in positions of authority, especially in law enforcement and courtrooms, makes a difference too. Social workers and advocates must be called upon more frequently to help keep survivors safe, sane and aware of their options.

When we stand up for ourselves, when we do anything but roll over and take it (quite literally), suddenly we’re at fault. We’re equal parts the butt of a joke and threat to a system of male domination that may not begin or end with rape but certainly benefits from it.

I unapologetically encourage everyone, but especially young women, to go on the offensive.

Plan for the worst.

Walk each other home. Have a few self-defense moves down pat and carry a personal alarm because the assumption of safety and the idea that 1 out of 6 of us is simply unlucky is how they keep us compliant and self-blaming.

And should the worst happen, love yourself through it. You do the best you can until you know better.

Now I know better. After an assault, I need to be able to say, “I did everything right. I am not to blame. And I will see my attacker prosecuted.”

SUNFLOWER HOT TAKES The Sunflower editorial staff gives their one-sentence opinions.

Lindsay Smith: Broccoli cheddar soup is overrated.

Sean Marty: Whataburger is disgusting.

Julia Nightengale: iCarly’s foot obsession isn’t funny anymore.

Why didn’t you try? Now you’ll never know if complying with an abductor or attacker kept you alive or if you could have gotten away.

YOU FOUGHT BUT LOST. Why weren’t you stronger or faster?

YOU REPORTED YOUR ASSAULT TO SOMEONE ON-CAMPUS ONLY TO BE SCREWED BY TITLE IX AND NDA’S (NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENTS) You shouldn’t have tried to ruin a promising young man’s life just because he violated you, broke the law, and is a danger to others. If it happened offcampus, the university might investigate, but don’t expect your attacker to be penalized or kicked out. It’s not the way things work.

YOU WAITED YEARS TO REPORT UNTIL THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS RAN OUT, AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE DISAPPEARED. You’re an opportunist or a liar. Probably both. If it really happened, you wouldn’t have waited.

YOU HAD YOUR RAPIST’S BABY AND WERE EMOTIONALLY DAMAGED BY THE EXPERIENCE. You’re a terrible mother.

YOU HAD AN ABORTION AFTER YOUR RAPE. You made the unforgivable decision to put yourself and your future first. Don’t expect others to applaud — they’re too busy booing you. All lives matter — yours just matters the least in this case.

THURSDAY, FEB. 22, 2020 | 7

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Arts & Entertainment

HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s A&E editor, Tabitha Barr arts@thesunflower.com

‘Whatever Happened to ‘Black Capitalism?’:

Keynote speaker examines the past to find solutions for the present

BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE copyeditor@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale

On Thursday, Feb. 18, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion held a virtual stream for Black history month, with keynote speaker Dr. Robert E Weems Jr. who discussed the history of Black capitalism and how we can examine the past to see what is needed in today’s society to improve Black entrepreneurship.

“Now, historians, we focus on what was,” Weems said. “But there are some historical phenomena that are so intriguing that it is very interesting to at least briefly ponder the ‘what if’.”

In 1966, Abraham Venable, a specialist in the Commerce Department’s Community Relations Unit created his “Athlete Project” in order to enhance Black entrepreneurship.

Through the project, 136 Black players in the NFL deposited money in an investment fund in order to create role models for black youth. This program had success in obtaining three enterprises and putting Black athletes in office spaces in eight cities.

This record of success was put on hold in 1967, when 176 racial disturbances were reported across the United States. Howard J. Samuels, as Administrator of the SBA, formulated and implemented Project OWN in 1968; it aimed to generate 20,000 loans for prospective Black businessmen.

“In looking at project OWN, to me this represents an intriguing historical ‘what-if’...

Now, the ‘what if ’ in terms of project OWN, what if Hubert Humphrey had won the presidential election of 1968? What if, in this capacity, Howard J. Samuels as the administrator of SBA had been able to implement project OWN as he outlined to President Lyndon Johnson? How might that have changed subsequent history?,” Weems said.

In the 1986 presidential election, all major candidates spoke to the importance of Black

COURTESTY OF THE OFFICE OF OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

business development. Richard Nixon is credited for introducing the term “Black Capitalism” into the national vocabulary, and in 1969 held his promises and created the Office of Minority Business Enterprise.

“Now, in looking at the Office of Minority Business Enterprise, it remains debatable in terms of just how effective this government agency was, in terms of promoting African American entrepreneurship,” Weems said. “Now, what isn’t debatable is that the creation of the Office of Minority Business Enterprise generated significant public discussion related to the topic of Black business developments.”

Weems said that in order to examine how the issue of Black business development rose and fell in the discourse of the public, The Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature gives us a good understanding of what was happening before Google was created. This public discourse is directly influenced by what issues in society presidents choose to focus on.

“When we talk about presidents of the United States, among other things these individuals have been referred to as possessing a ‘bully pulpit’, which essentially said that any issue they give attention to necessarily generates public interest,” Weems said.

Through 1969 and 1970, there were over 30 listings for Black business development in multiple similarly-named categories.

“This dramatic increase in published articles related to black business development clearly appears to have been directly linked to the creation of the Office of Minority Business Enterprise and again, president Nixon’s public comments related to the support of Black business development,” Weems said.

In the mid 1970s, there was a dramatic decrease in listings, due to the subsiding of Black militancy, which had motivated the U.S government to calm unrest. In 1979 and 1985, articles began being indexed in Black Enterprise and Jet. “When we look at this data from the mid 1980’s, related to African American business development, it clearly shows that interest in Black business development became almost exclusively confined to the African American community. In fact, by the mid 1980’s the notion of the importance of Black business development had really become a peripheral issue in terms of national priority,” Weems said.

In today’s world, Weems says that many Black communities are still economically underdeveloped, and this is why it is important to examine actions of the past to improve

Black Capitalism in order to see if they would still be relevant in the 21st century.

“First of all, it looks like substantive public discourse related to Black business development with participants from all sectors of American society seems to have disappeared just like the Afro hair style,” Weems said.

Weems said that the actions of Reverend Sullivan, pastor of Philadelphia’s Mount Zion Baptist Church, are worth examining.

He created the “10-36 plan”, in which members of the church donated into a cooperative pool once a month, and garnered 6,000 members by the early 1970’s.

This resulted in a variety of important economic development endeavors, including the first Black-owned shopping center, Progress Aerospace Enterprises, and Opportunities Industrialization Center which provided job training.

“In the challenging times that we currently find ourselves in, there is no need to reinvent the wheel in terms of African American economic development. In fact, much of what needs to be done today has been done in the past. And all that is needed is the vision of persons such as Reverend Sullivan, along with the resolve of ordinary citizens to support such a vision,” Weems said.

‘iCarly’ catches the Wichita State students find relaxation with fluffy friends ‘i’ of college students

following Netflix debut

BY TABITHA BARR arts@thesunflower.com / @tabbyjanelle

They’re soft, they’re squishy, they’re trending all over social media. Squishmallows are plush stuffed toys that children and college students alike are often seen snuggling up next to one, especially college students. They come in many varieties; animals, food, pop culture, etc.

Alex Day, a Biochemistry and Medical Lab Sciences Freshman, said they only have one that they call Pumpkin Cat. “[My squishmallow is] reversible and changes from a cat to a pumpkin . . . (they) like to wear it as a hat,” Day said.

Squishmallows are known for their soft and squishy touch, and can be used for many different things including: pillows, cuddle buddies, and a person’s best pal.

Day loves their Pumpkin Cat because “(they) just love the aesthetic of it. It makes (them) happy to hold and it’s very comforting.”

Piper Sterling, a Filmmaking Sophomore, has multiple Squishmallows and loves the stories behind each one.

“Reginald, a Valentine’s day corgi, who is Captain of the lacrosse team, Reginald is a fearless leader. He loves to spend time with his teammates on and off the field especially when it involves watching one of his favorite movies. Autumn, a halloween black cat, who you could say that Autumn is not a morning person.

Her adventure-seeking personality comes out as the darkness fills the skies. Autumn is one with nature, and travels all over the world from one Halloween to the next.”

Wyman Wheeler Reporter wjwheeler@shockers.

ILLISTRATION BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

Sterling feels something special about Squishmallows and their plushiness.

“They are literally the softest and cutest stuffed animal brand,” she said. “They come in literally all shapes and sizes and there are so many to choose from.”

She said she wants more of them such as the dragon, squid and axolotl.

Squishmallows are not only great pillows and fun to hug, but Sterling says they are “great movie buddies.”

Cyrus Lackie, a Dental Hygiene Freshman, has two Squishmallows “that (they) love dearly.”

“A halloween exclusive candy corn with a witch hat. And an alligator named Arthur, he paints murals.”

Lackie really likes Squishmallows because it helps them.

“I’m super sensitive to textures so when I first found them in a grocery store I gave them a squish

and they were softer and squishier than anything I’ve felt before.

That’s when I knew I just had to have it,” they said.

Lackie’s love for stuffed animals isn’t new.

“I had almost every Webkinz growing up and my favorite thing about those and squishmallows too is that they come with names and a backstory that personify them,” Lackie said. “It makes for a more genuine and deep connection.”

Their Squishmallows are always there to help throughout the day.

“Arthur likes to hold up my laptop whenever I’m using it on my bed. I think he likes the warmth of the computer, being cold blooded and all. And I enjoy getting to see his face, especially during the most boring of zoom meetings,” they explained.

“Arthur also makes for a great pillow because he’s actually a flat version of squishmallows, called squishmallows stackables.”

The life of a college student is hectic. Between juggling classes and part-time jobs, many students struggle to take time for themselves. When they are finally able to relax, they often spend it scrolling through Netflix trying to find a show to binge.

On Feb. 8, Netflix added a new streaming option to their service; the Nickelodeon hit, “iCarly”. A majority of college students were in grade school when “iCarly” made its debut in 2007 and the show was well received by its audience. “iCarly” is currently ranked #2 on Netflix’s most watched list, so it appears that the show still has appeal. What remains to be seen is whether or not college students are re-watching the beloved children’s show and if they are enjoying it or not.

Personally, I grew up watching “iCarly” and I have very fond memories of the show. I was five when the show first aired so I was just below the target audience that the show was trying to reach.

Despite that, I remember looking forward to new episodes every week.

I have only watched a few episodes since the Netflix release but I have seen enough to say that “iCarly” is just as good as I remembered it, if not a little childish (it is a children’s show afterall).

It is surprisingly clever and the cast’s clear enjoyment of the material gives the show a unique energy that invokes a childlike giddiness within the audience.

Alas, one student’s account does not apply to the masses. There are plenty more students that are enjoying the show.

Mckenna Lewis, a freshman majoring in musical theater, has been enjoying “iCarly” long before its Netflix release.

“I’ve been binge watching it since it got released last week. I am super excited to re-watch one of my favorite shows from my childhood.” “iCarly’s” appeal to Mckenna is not limited to the nostalgia the show delivers.

“I think it’s really exciting to look back on your childhood from a new perspective, but [the show] definitely highlights some things that you don’t notice when you’re eight years old watching the show versus when you’re eighteen years old watching the show.” “iCarly’s” Netflix release comes at a great time. Paramount+ has an “iCarly” revival in the works and is speculated to release sometime in 2021. “iCarly” appears to have the attention of audiences everywhere.

Not only is the show appealing to children today, it has also recaptured the hearts of the children of yesterday. “iCarly” is still as witty and funny as it was in 2007. If you are ever scrolling through your watchlist looking for something to watch, “iCarly” may just be what you are looking for.

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